By Lorenzo Marchessi
You can always expect a real tour de force of talent at Zombie Joes Underground Theatre in North Hollywood and “Astroglyde XX” is no exception. Here is a series of original concepts written and performed by the actors who bring these nine different personalities to life. It’s a series of fresh concepts and stories that your evening will be filled with humor, surprises, sexuality and touching (yet real) commentaries of the human condition. Each of these monologues had a different director guided their individual talents
“Snap Click” – Really inadequate for the real job and obsessed with becoming a Police officer instead of a mug shot photographer…will he one day be in the line-up himself? Cory Wyszynski gives a sharp, fast and psychotic twinge to his character that is both funny and creepy. He sense of personal timing make the scene real and charge with more than a little fire in his eye.
“The Addict” – Books, a library, passion and a little more than needy! Ren Harris is makes a soft and subtle entrance and the broadly relates her seemingly weird obsession with books and a particular person who she cannot have. Ren has lots of range from quiet to loud.
“The Dog” – A dog’s perspective of his master is ‘spot’ on! Willy Romano-Pugh gives an amazingly accurate performance of what a pet dog might think of his master as things happen around him. This pup performance is filled with curiosity and self-wonders as well as the hurt feelings from a master who drinks too much and beats his pet too much. It is a Very heartfelt performance by Willy.
“Down In The Dump-ster” – Obsessive love that is misguided and downright psychotic! Laura de Lano takes a psychotic look at an obsession of woman who seemed to be stalking her fantasy by looking at his garbage in a dumpster. Laura plays the crazy-eyed stalker with a creepy edge of boldness.
“Murray” – A few seconds of a real dog’s perspective before a tragedy! Robert Walters show another aspect of a puppy who might be seeing the last few moments of what happened to him before a tragic event. Robert’s honest performance is real and sincere of what a puppy might be thinking given these circumstances.
“Bumble’s Rambles” – Crazy in the park with a porcupine, really? Tucker Mathews plays a crazy man in the park…who talks to porcupines and conducts his own imaginary radio show for anyone who will listen. Tucker is fun, funny and certainly does crazy very well. Watch his eyes!
“Ru Shane” – Vibrantly sexuality, fast, furious and a bit on the kinky side! Chelsea Rose, kinky, kinky and more kinky. Chelsea dialogue and performance is fast, energetic and amazingly funny. How she breaths during each scene with all that clever description and rhyming was amazing to watch as she pours over these sexual subjects.
“134340” – Pluto, the former planet, finally speaks out! Leif La Duke came up with this wonderful short dialogue of what the Planet Pluto might be thinking these days. Yes, Leif is the planet Pluto and his clever wit and conversations with the solar system is absolutely fun to watch.
“Muches Ado About Nothing” A clown with a purpose or what he thinks it should have been? Mark Nager makes the Hobo clown accessible to understanding his plight of making people laugh through magic. Mark makes the tragic feel happy and sometimes happy is not so cheerful to a clown.
‘Astroglyde XX’ was a surprisingly entertaining show of inventively creative monologues with forceful and dynamic performers. If you have never seen a show like this before, you should and se it at Zombie Joe’s Underground theatre in North Hollywood. For more information check them out at www.zombiejoes.homestead.com.